


Can't Watch the World Burn

by faithharkness



Series: Diversions [17]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: AU-everybody lives, Adventure, Anal Sex, Backstory, F/M, Force-Sensitive Finn, Het and Slash, Heterosexual Sex, M/M, Male Slash, POV Alternating, time jumps
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-01
Updated: 2016-06-24
Packaged: 2018-06-05 18:04:04
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,919
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6715573
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/faithharkness/pseuds/faithharkness
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>At some point, Luke Skywalker realized he had a type.</p><p>Or, how Luke Skywalker ditched the "no-attachments" part of the Jedi Code and ended up a father.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This picks up shortly after _Where the Wind Hits Heavy_. Chapters will most likely shift between time periods, allowing for short chapters of Finn and Luke interaction, and then longer backstory chapters. That's how it's working in my head so far.
> 
> I am going to try to post a chapter to this each week, as I did with the last multi-chapter fic.

Finn opened the door of his quarters to see Luke standing in the hallway. He was surprised by the Jedi’s rather casual attire. He was pretty sure it was the first time he’d seen Luke without his cloak; outside training.

Luke smiled as he caught on to Finn’s observation of his attire. “It’s easier to go unnoticed without the cloak.”

“You didn’t want people to know you were coming to see me?”

“I didn’t want us to be interrupted or overheard. Is now a good time?”

Finn bit back a harsh retort. “It’ll do,” he said, stepping back to allow Luke entry into his quarters.

Luke stopped in the middle of the sitting area. One of the perks of Finn’s position was a two-room unit with a personal refresher. Kein liked to joke he was only using Finn for his fluffy towels.

“Have a seat,” Finn said, when Luke remained standing, staring at him.

Luke sat on the sofa, his gaze still on Finn’s face. 

Luke’s scrutiny was really starting to unnerve him. “Can I get you anything?” Finn asked.

“I’m fine. I suppose you have questions?”

Finn huffed out a laugh. “Questions? I don’t…there isn’t a _word_ for all I have to ask you. For now, why are you staring at me like that?”

Luke shook his head. “I’m sorry. I was just looking at you and wondering why I never saw Cerise in your face before.”

Finn sighed and dropped into a chair across from Luke. It was Kein’s chair; the older pilot liked to settle into it when he was working on reports. It wasn’t as comfortable for Finn’s stockier build, but the association with his lover helped tether him to the here and now.

“To be fair, you never really looked at me before. You only had eyes for Rey and your family. Even if you still won’t look Ben in the eye.”

“I’m working on that,” Luke said, stiffening slightly.

“I’ve seen that,” Finn conceded. This animosity felt odd on his skin; he knew where it came from, but it was so far away from the person he wanted to be—the person he knew he really was. He liked being happy and optimistic. He liked leaving the heavier, broody things to Poe and Rey and Ben.

“You see a lot of things, Finn. I understand why Leia chose you as her bodyguard.”

Finn fought down a blush. Then he gasped. “Holy crap!”

“What?”

“The General is my aunt!”

Luke laughed. “Yes, yes she is. I expect she’s just waiting for the right time to throw a big, family dinner.”

Finn’s eyes widened.

Luke held up a hand. “Don’t get too panicked. It won’t be for a long time. We still have Snoke to deal with.”

“And with Ben leaving,” Finn pointed out. He was still coming to terms with the fact that Ben was related to him. He wasn’t as fond of Ben as the others, but Jess was a close friend and he could sense her distress about him going away.

“That, too.”

“Do you know where he’s going? What’s going to happen?”

Luke leaned back and sighed. “No. I have been isolated for fifteen years and, even before that, the Oracle of Odrade never saw fit to reveal themselves to me. I think your mother might have done work for them.”

“Would they know where she is? If she’s still alive?”

“If anyone would know, it would be them.”

“Do you think Lando would speak to them for me?”

Luke chuckled. “I don’t think there’s anything in this universe Lando wouldn’t do for you.”

Finn nodded and leaned back in the chair, trying to get comfortable.

“What can I do for you, Finn?”

Dozens of thoughts and questions ran through Finn’s mind. Most of them, he wasn’t ready to ask aloud: _Why did you leave us? Why didn’t you look for me? Why didn’t you know I was yours?_ He shook his head to clear it and asked for the one thing he knew he needed most.

“Tell me about my mother.”


	2. Like a Sunset After a Bomb (1 Year ABE)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luke Skywalker meets Cerise Calrissian for the first time. And realizes he has A Type.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title of the chapter is from a line in _True Blood_. I have a lot of feelings about poor Terry Bellefleur.

_“Tell me about my mother.”_

_Luke thought for a moment before answering, a smile gracing his lips. “Well, she was a badass. And a smartass.”_  
*****

At some point, and he wasn’t exactly sure when (although he could hear Leia—or maybe it was Han—in his head saying it was far later than it should have been), Luke had had to admit that he had a type. That type was: clever, brave, and usually at least a shade disreputable (there was one glaring exception to that last one, but he wasn’t thinking about that right now).

Case in point: the stunning woman staring down the barrel of her blaster at him. He wasn’t entirely sure how he had gotten into his current mess, but it seemed he owed her a thank you for helping him out. That is, if she didn’t decide to take him out, as well.

“You would think, with all that time spent going on secret missions for the Rebellion and disappearing into your training, that you would have learned how to be inconspicuous,” she said, holstering her weapon. She held her hand out to help him up. “ _Master_ Skywalker.”

He reached out for her hand, not sensing any deception from her. He used the leverage to pull himself to his feet, dusting off his robe once he was upright.

She smacked at his hands. “No one here has clean robes. What is the matter with you?” she said.

“I’ve had a long day?”

She rolled her eyes. “It’s a good thing my brother told me to keep an eye out for you. Otherwise, the Rebellion would be down one Jedi.”

“Brother?” he asked, lifting the hood of his robe into place.

She sketched a mock bow. “Cerise Calrissian at your service. Stick with me, Skywalker. I’m the charming one,” she said, winking.

 _I am in so much trouble._  
*****

“What brings you to Khubeaie?” Cerise asked as they meandered through the bazaar. She tossed a few coins into a bowl on a fruit seller’s stand with one hand as she picked up a cluster of berries in the other.

“Don’t you know?”

She shook her head, licking a stream of berry juice off her thumb. “Lando just said I should keep an eye out.”

Luke looked at her out of the corner of his eye. “Ever helpful, our Lando.”

Cerise shrugged. “Sometimes, you only need to be able to see your part of the picture.”

“That seems a rather narrow form of thinking.”

“Says the man who sees things in Dark and Light.”

Luke smiled. “It’s not quite that simple.”

She laughed. “Of course it isn’t. But Lando bet me fifty credits I couldn’t get a rise out of you.”

“Fifty credits? The last time I saw him, he stuck me with the bar tab.”

“Ouch. Been there, done that,” she said, wincing.

“Stuck some poor fool with the bill for your drinks?”

“Had to clean up Lando’s mess.”

“How does he manage to keep friends?” Luke asked.

“No idea. I mean, I’m family, so I _have_ to accept his apologies. Come on,” she said, looping her arm through his.

“Where are we going?”

She leaned and spoke quietly. “People are starting to notice our mess in the alley. We should hide out for a bit.”

“In a cantina?” he asked as he realized where she was leading him.

“Where else? We can blend in and get to know each other.”

“And?” he prompted, sensing she had an ulterior motive.

She rolled her eyes. “And I maybe need to pick up some information while I’m here. Happy?”

“Delirious,” he said, dryly, but allowed her to pull him into the cantina.  
*****

Luke sat in a booth with his back to the wall, watching the patrons of the crowded cantina.

He rolled his eyes at the voice in his head that pointed out he was actually watching Cerise Calrissian as she moved through the cantina, interacting with the patrons as she went. 

She was a curious woman, and one that intrigued him. He had tried reading her mind, but her raised eyebrow had assured him she knew what he was doing, and he should stop.

“By my count, there are three bounty hunters in here. Yet none of them have even looked your way,” Cerise said as she sat beside him.

“I’m an unremarkable man.”

She laughed as she handed him a drink. “That is _not_ what I have heard.”

“Your brother is an unreliable storyteller.”

She lifted her cup in a toast. “Truer words were never spoken, my friend.”

Luke clinked his cup against hers, pausing to sniff its contents before taking a drink.

“If I wanted to knock you out, I wouldn’t have done it in view of so many witnesses. Besides, dragging your unconscious body past that many bodyguards would have been difficult.”

Luke nodded in acknowledgement before taking a drink. He was surprised to find there was no alcohol in his cup. He lifted an eyebrow at her.

“Local fruit brew. I thought you might want to keep your wits about you.”

“Just in case your charm can’t get us out of here?”

Her eyes widened. “Take that back and say you’re sorry,” she demanded.

He laughed and put his hands up. “I am sorry. That was rude.”

“Quite,” she said, taking a drink.

“Have you completed your business here?”

“Trying to get rid of me already?”

“No. No, I, uh, just wanted to know if there was anything I could do to help you.”

Cerise smiled at him. It was a pleasant smile, but her eyes glinted with mischief. “Oh, I’m sure I could think of something you could help me with.”

“I am told I’m very good with my hands.”

“Are you now?”

“At least, that’s what people say about my skills in a cockpit.”

Cerise put a hand over her mouth to muffle her laughter. She didn’t want to attract too much attention to them. “You are much better at flirting than I thought you would be.”

“I have spent quite a bit of time in the company of your brother.”

“Really? I didn’t think his tastes were that…broad.”

“Oh, no. I meant he takes me out—I mean, we go to bars together. I’m his wingman,” he explained, blushing.

“Ah, there’s the awkward farm boy he warned me about,” she said, nudging his shoulder with hers.

“And how much does he owe you for getting me to blush?”

“Well, now, that would mean I’d have to tell him about the blush. And something tells me that if I hold onto that knowledge, it may pay out better for me in the long run.”

“I hope you’re a better gambler than your brother.”

She gave him a smile that was positively predatory. “Just because Lando loses something doesn’t mean he failed at gambling.”

Luke opened his mouth to ask her what she meant, but was cut off by a small explosion just outside the cantina.

“Guess we’ll have to continue this later,” Cerise said, pulling out her blaster as she shoved the table away from them.

Luke pulled his lightsaber off his belt.

“No!” Cerise shouted, pushing his arm down and firing at the stormtroopers pouring into the cantina. 

Luke shot her a puzzled look as she pulled him towards a hallway.

“It’s a small group of former Imperials trying to cause trouble. You use that lightsaber and give them a lead on the man who killed the Emperor, and they’ll slaughter everyone in this port,” she said, dragging him through the kitchen. 

They burst out a backdoor and sprinted down the alley. Luke followed her as she ducked around corners and into doorways. He pulled his blaster from his holster, covering their backs as she took out anyone in their way.

“There’s your ship. Think you can get away without showing off?” Cerise said, pointing.

“Of course. But what about you?”

She came to a stop in the shadow of his shuttle. “Oh, I have my ways. There are some friends here who’ll help me out. You just get back to your people with that information you stole earlier today.”

“How did you know about that?”

“Your sleight-of-hand needs work; you rely too much on the Force.”

“Thank you.”

She laughed and grabbed him by the collar, pulling him into a hot, hard kiss.

“You can make it up to me next time,” she whispered, then ran for cover, her laughter echoing behind her.


	3. Painted Red to Fit Right In (1.5 years ABE)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luke attends a cocktail party as the Rebellion and the New Republic start to rebuild.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've started putting dates after chapter titles for the year in which the flashback takes place; all years are After the Battle of Endor (ABE).
> 
> In this chapter, anything in italics is "now" and the regular font is flashback.

_Finn breathed out a sigh of relief. “Oh, thank goodness.”_

_Luke gave him a puzzled look, which quickly changed into a loud guffaw as he caught Finn’s thoughts._

_“No,” Luke gasped through his laughter, “your mother was not a one-night stand.”_

_“Why are you laughing?” Finn asked, ignoring, for the moment, Luke’s lapse in etiquette in reading his mind._

_“Sorry, I’m just picturing the look and epic lecture Cerise would give you for thinking that for even a moment.”_

_Finn tilted his head to the side. “I’ve never heard you laugh like that.”_

_“It’s been a trying time for me lately. Remembering Cerise helps. And meeting you.”_

_Finn ducked his head and smiled. “If it helps, you could tell me more.”_

_“Gladly.”_  
*****

“How far up does it go, exactly?”

Luke almost choked on his mouthful of wine. He fought valiantly and managed to swallow without much of the liquid going into his lungs.

Cerise chuckled as she took the glass out of his hand and took a drink. “Ah, so you do drink alcohol,” she said, handing it back to him.

“Sparingly. And only for special occasions.”

“Such as surviving boring political functions,” she said, slipping a cocktail off the tray of a passing waiter.

“Is there such a thing as an exciting political function?” Luke asked.

“Oh, you had to ask.”

Luke laughed at her expression. “Seems pretty tame so far. Leia appears to be making headway with a few ambassadors.”

Cerise turned to look at Leia, who was talking with a tall Cathar, Han standing uncomfortably beside her.

“Well, the night is young. Anything could happen, what with this many Heroes of the Rebellion in attendance,” Cerise said, moving to stand beside Luke.

“And yet we’re missing your brother.”

“I’m hurt, Luke. How can you miss _him_ when _I’m_ right here?”

“I misspoke. The delegates are missing your brother. _I_ am quite happy with the Calrissian contingent.”

Cerise smirked and took a sip of her cocktail. “Ugh, who is tending bar?” she said, setting the glass on a table.

“A protocol droid, I believe.”

“Whose terrible idea was that?” she asked, stealing Luke’s glass again.

“Threepio, I believe. Something about knowing what was poisonous to different species.”

“You put far too much faith in that golden bucket of bolts.”

“He’s been through a lot,” Luke defended him. Yes, Threepio could be annoying, but he had come through for the Rebellion every time they needed him.

“Haven’t we all,” she said, polishing off Luke’s drink.

Luke rolled his eyes and grabbed two more glasses of wine from another waiter. He handed one to Cerise, who clinked her glass against his before taking a drink.

“I can’t believe Leia went to so many of these things throughout her formative years and still came out such a well-adjusted person,” Luke said.

Cerise snorted. “ _Clearly_ , you have not done enough drinking with your sister.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“It seemed like a rather self-explanatory statement to me.”

Luke glared, but let the subject drop. Maybe he and Leia could find some time in the future to talk about their pasts in greater detail. _Or_ , he could spend more time with Cerise and gain blackmail material on his sister. He had a lot of years of sibling ribbing to catch up on.

“You never did answer my question,” Cerise said.

“Which question?”

She danced her fingertips up his arm. “How far up does it go? The whole way?”

Luke coughed. “Um, no. Not the whole way up.”

“And when the glove comes off?”

“Looks and feels real. At least, to me it does.”

“Hmmm,” she said into her glass. “And how does it feel to someone else?”

“I haven’t had any complaints.”

“Well, well, well, Master Skywalker. You are just full of surprises.”

“So I’ve been told.”

Several heads turned as Cerise let out a loud, joyous laugh.  
*****

“Any special settings? Attachments?”

“We’re back to the hand,” Luke said as Cerise sat beside him. She had drifted off a few hours ago to make connections throughout the room. Luke had enjoyed watching her interact with other people as he made his own inroads with the new political powers.

“We’re back to the hand,” she confirmed. “It’s either that or try to make sense of a discussion about power converters and their importance to the New Republic,” she said, nodding to a group clearly made up of engineers.

“What kind of power converters?” Luke asked, following her gaze.

Cerise rolled her eyes. “Ugh, you really are a farm boy.”

“I think I still have an order of power converters waiting to be picked up on Tatooine,” Luke said, absently.

“If the seller is worth his salt, those babies are loooong gone.”

“I don’t really have much use for them anymore, anyway,” he said sadly.

“Are all Jedi maudlin drunks or is it just a Skywalker trait?”

Luke shook himself out of his reverie. “I am not drunk.”

Cerise smirked. “I know. I’ve been watching you. You switched to water a few hours ago. To the untrained eye, however, you’ve been knocking back the hypervodka. Someone might try to take advantage of that.”

“Hence the question about attachments?”

“Oh, no. That was legitimate curiosity.”

“Indeed? And were you looking for information or a practical demonstr—”

Luke was cut off as the doors to the ballroom blew open, admitting a few dozen stormtroopers and Empire-uniformed officers, shouting about glory and revenge for Palpatine.

Cerise threw over the table they were seated at and ducked behind it, pulling Luke with her. She had a blaster in each hand within moments, and Luke wondered where the hell they had been hidden.

“These guys picked the wrong kriffing party to crash,” she snarled, kneeling up to take out two stormtroopers.

“Please tell me I get to use the lightsaber this time,” Luke said, hilt already in his hand and thumb on the button.

She smiled. “I’d be disappointed if you didn’t.”

Luke pressed a quick kiss to her mouth before running across the room, deflecting bolts with his blade as he went.  
*****

_“So, that’s when it happened?” Finn asked._

_“That was the first time your mother and I were together, yes. But that couldn’t have been when you were conceived. It was too long ago.”_

_“So the two of you were…frequent?”_

_“Yes. We were in a relationship, Finn. It was long-distance more often than not and it had its ups and downs, but...I did love Cerise. Very much.”_

_Finn stared hard at Luke and was pleased to see genuine emotion in the older Jedi’s eyes._

_“Oh, sorry. I can come back.”_

_Finn wiped away a tear and looked up to see Kein standing in the doorway. The pilot was in his half-fastened flight suit, indicating he’d just returned from a patrol._

_“I actually promised Leia I would meet with her and Olivia Pava to see if we could get more details about what they’re going to do with Ben,” Luke said, standing._

_He walked over to Finn and put a hand on his shoulder, squeezing gently. “Let me know when you’re ready to talk some more.”_

_Finn nodded, patting Luke’s hand. He took a deep breath and stood, pulling the older man into a hug. Luke startled at first, before sinking into the embrace, holding his son tight._

“Just think, and I’ll be right there,” _Luke’s voice whispered in Finn’s head._

_“Cool,” Finn said, pulling away. “Let me know if Leia needs me. She told me I had the day off, but…”_

_“He doesn’t like not having something to do. And he_ really _doesn’t like thinking he’s letting the general down,” Kein said._

_“Stop giving away all my secrets,” Finn admonished._

_“Nice to see you, Kein. Tell your father I said hello,” Luke said, as he began to edge by Kein in the entryway._

_“Oh, I did that. His response was, ultimately, that it was about time you came back,” Kein replied._

_“’Ultimately’?”_

_“Yes, sir. There were a lot of curse words and some threats if I didn’t divulge coordinates.”_

_“And did you?” Finn asked._

_“Still more afraid of General Organa than I am of my father,” Kein replied._

_Luke laughed and clapped him on the shoulder. “I’ll holo-call him later tonight. We have a lot to talk about. Goodnight, boys,” Luke said, leaving the quarters and pulling the door shut behind him._

_Kein looked at the closed door for a few moments. “I feel I should tell him that my dad’s on his way here.”_

_“I thought you didn’t give him the coordinates,” Finn said, wrapping his arms around Kein’s waist._

_“I didn’t. But General Organa overheard me talking to him and gave them to him herself.”_

_Finn paused in his nuzzling of Kein’s neck. “Over an open comm channel?”_

_“Nah. Some code from the old days.”_

_“Fascinating,” Finn said, nipping at Kein’s throat._

_Kein moaned softly and ran his hand over Finn’s hair. “I am sweaty and gross from running maneuvers with Poe.”_

_Finn pulled back with a wide grin. “You need a shower,” he said, brightly._

_Kein laughed. “I need a shower. Wanna help me with my back?”_

_Finn replied by kissing his lover passionately, backing him into the refresher._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter will be an interlude that is just Luke and Cerise; not something that Luke would describe for his son. Because _no one_ wants to hear that about their parents.


	4. Interlude I:  Feel It in My Bones (Luke & Cerise)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A brief interlude. A not-safe-for-Finn flashback to when Luke and Cerise became intimate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is late. This is sooooo late and I know it. I am sorry. But I have not written full-on sex between a man and a woman for a long time, so it was difficult getting my mojo back. To make up for it, I intend to post something else this weekend. It will probably be a Damerey fic in the _Diversions_ verse. Or it might be the next interlude in this fic, which will be Finn/Kein.
> 
> But it might be a modern Ben/Hux AU. Or a modern Poe/Hux AU. Domhnall Gleeson is eating my life.

_Luke smiled as he walked down the hall toward his own quarters. He had been glad for the interruption by his son’s—his_ son! _—partner. Because although he had loved Cerise very deeply, the first time they had had sex was not the fade-to-black sweet intimacy you saw in the holoromances…_

*****

“This was my favorite party dress,” Cerise said, brushing uselessly at the dirt and ash on it.

“I rather liked it,” Luke commented.

She lifted an eyebrow. “Before or after these idiots who seem to have forgotten that the Battle of Jakku was a victory for _us_ stormed the party?”

“Well, I thought it quite complemented your eyes before. But now,” he said, his gaze raking over her, “I am quite fond of the amount of leg you’re showing.”

“Luke Skywalker, a leg man. Who knew?” she asked, stepping closer to him. She threw an arm around his shoulders, a wicked gleam in her eyes.

“I’d be happy to offer you proof of that,” he said, leaning forward to nip at her lips.

“You’re just saying that because you want to see where I was hiding my guns.”

“I wouldn’t object to discovering that, as well,” he replied.

“You have a room in this place or do I have to drag you back to my ship?”

Luke glanced around the ballroom, which was still smoking in places. From the amount of traffic in and out of the room—hotel staff trying to salvage linens and furniture, Rebellion leaders moving prisoners and the injured, and people having conversations that didn’t look too dissimilar from their own—Luke was rather sure the rest of the hotel was untouched by the brief skirmish.

“I think that if we try making it to the port, someone will try to get us to help with the clean-up.”

Cerise leaned forward and bit his earlobe. “There’s a set of staff stairs at the back of the room. We should be able to reach your floor without being noticed,” she whispered.

He shivered as her breath ghosted over his neck. “How did you know where my room is?”

Cerise laughed as she led him to the stairwell. “After all this time, you have to ask?”  
*****

Luke grunted as he was pressed back against the door of his room, the momentum slamming the door shut.

“Whoops,” Cerise whispered, unrepentant.

“It’s almost as if you _want_ people to know we’re in here,” he said, turning them so Cerise was against the wall beside the door.

She laughed and boosted herself up to wrap her legs around his waist. “If we’re loud enough, they might leave us alone.”

She buried her fingers in his hair, playing with the longer locks, before tilting his head back and sucking his lower lip into her mouth.

Luke moaned into the kiss, sliding his hands up her barely-clothed back to clutch at her shoulders.

Cerise broke the kiss as she moaned, arching into the touch.

“Bed?” Luke asked against her throat. He shivered slightly as he felt her arousal through the Force, raking over his already tingling nerves.

“Next time,” she replied, before claiming his mouth in a passionate kiss. 

The kiss was a playful quest for dominance, tongues dueling and teeth nipping at flesh. Luke pressed Cerise against the wall, keeping her trapped between it and his hips. He traced his fingertips down her thighs until his hands gripped her knees, gently unwrapping her legs from his hips. She moaned in dismay, her nails digging lightly into his scalp as she claimed possession of the kiss.

Luke laughed as he pulled away from the kiss. “Patience,” he whispered.

She rolled her eyes at him. “And here, I thought we had met,” she replied.

“We have, and well,” he said, dropping to his knees. 

She sighed in pleasure as he gently undid the lacings holding her boots together, caressing her calves as he took the boots off.

“Ah,” he said, grinning as the removal of her left boot revealed an intricate holster.

“That’s one of them,” she stated, tugging sharply on his hair. “Care to find the other one?”

“If I didn’t think it would end in blood and pain, I might just take my time doing so.”

She dragged the nails of one hand down the side of his neck, leaving red lines in her wake. “Well, if you wanted blood and pain, you should have just said so.”

Luke laughed, pressing a kiss to her knee. “Maybe next time. I have a feeling I’m going to have to be a fully-functioning Jedi tomorrow.”

Cerise softly hit her head on the wall. “Just my luck. A universe of scoundrels and I pick the responsible guy.”

“Responsible _and_ attentive.”

She gasped, her fingers digging into his shoulder as he trailed his tongue from the side of her knee to the middle of her thigh, where he was stopped by a piece of leather.

“My compliments to your tailor,” he said. He carefully undid the intricate holster and set it aside, absently marveling at the combination of beauty and danger. 

_Much like its owner_ , he thought as he looked up at Cerise, his mouth going dry at the look she was giving him.

He held her gaze as his hands slid up her thighs, intending to strip her of her undergarments. He nearly choked as his hands met bare skin all the way up to her stomach.

“I like the feel of fresh air,” she explained with a shrug.

Luke was suddenly very glad Cerise couldn’t read minds, as he was pretty sure he had just fallen in love. His hands lifted the tattered remains of her skirt as he surged to his feet to take her mouth in a hungry kiss.

Cerise bit his lip, her hands going to his shirt, trying to find a way to open it. She grunted in frustration.

“Here,” Luke gasped, his shirt unfastening and pulling itself open.

“I don’t think that’s how you’re supposed to use the Force,” she laughed as she shoved the sleeves down his arms.

“The Jedi of old actually strangely quiet on the subject.” Luke shrugged out of the shirt before cupping her bare bottom in his hands to lift her against him. 

“ _More_ ,” she demanded, biting at his neck. She reached for her own shoulder, ripping the strap holding the bodice of her dress up. The fabric fell away, baring her torso.

Luke sucked in a harsh breath, but before he could touch her newly-revealed breasts, she was pulling him tight against her. Cerise let out a hitching moan as their heated flesh slid together.

“Cerise,” he breathed, kissing her gently.

“You have three seconds to either use the Force on your trousers or let me take matters into my own hands.”

Luke lifted an eyebrow at her, smirking as he slid one hand up her side to cup her breast. She almost missed the sound of his trousers falling to the floor, the noise muffled by her gasp as Luke’s thumb grazed her nipple.

She didn’t know if it was the strength of his artificial arm or a boost from the Force, but she felt herself lifted up just enough for Luke to slide inside her in one smooth thrust.

He paused, savoring the feel of her breast at his lips and her warm heat clenching around him. Cerise let him breathe for a moment before reaching between them to pinch his nipple. Luke shuddered against her, causing Cerise to press her head back against the wall.

“Great Maker, Skywalker. We should have been doing this for _ages_ ,” she gasped, her free hand scratching down his back.

He laughed, lifting his head to kiss her. He braced one hand against the wall, giving himself leverage as he began to press into her in a slow, steady rhythm. She pressed her heel against his toned ass, changing the rhythm to one that better suited her. Fast, hard, and loud as she chased her orgasm.

“Come for me, Cerise,” he whispered, snapping his hips hard against hers, trapping her between the heat of his body and the unforgiving press of the wall behind her.

Cerise threw her head back and screamed as her orgasm raged through her; the hand buried in Luke’s hair pulling sharply. He grunted against the pain, sliding down to his knees with her legs still wrapped around his waist. 

He held himself still by the iron control he had learned to keep over his body—his mind and heart were another story, but not important at the moment. He waited as she came down from her high, stealing kisses against her skin as he did so.

She finally caught her breath and looked down into his face. His blue eyes were shining with lust and restraint, and she felt her heart clench. The smile she gave him was beautifully wicked.

“Your turn,” she whispered against his lips. She slid her tongue into his mouth as she moved her legs and pushed him onto his back.

Luke grunted as he shifted his body to comfortably accommodate the new angle. The grunt quickly turned into a moan when Cerise sat up and leaned back against his knees. His hands clutched her hips as she slowly began to ride him.

“Hmmm…it does feel like the real thing,” she said, patting his artificial hand.

He smirked. “Are you sure? There’s a bit of cloth in the way there.” He slid both hands up to cup her breasts, his fingertips dancing lightly over her flesh.

Cerise moaned and sped up her movements. “You may be right.” She took his hands in hers and moved them so his thumbs were resting against her nipples. 

“That’s better,” she said, her voice husky. “You can tell a lot about a man by the way he uses his thumbs.”

“Is that so,” he gasped, trying hard to hold onto his control. He wanted this to last longer. He wanted to see her come apart under his hands again. He smiled at her, and she had a moment to try to process the gleam in his eyes before he moved his right hand and slid it down her body. He skimmed over the fabric of her dress wrapped around her waist and dipped beneath. He circled the tight bundle of nerves just above where they were joined.

“Luke!” she cried out as she came, this time pulling him over the screaming edge into ecstasy with her.

Luke floated on the sensation of satiety as long as he could. He could feel the comfortable weight of Cerise resting against him, her hair tickled his collarbone and her hand ghosted lazily over his side. He sighed when she nuzzled against his chest, her breath caressing his nipple. He wanted to stay in that twilight haze as long as possible; it had been _so long_ since he had allowed himself to take such pleasure for himself. He lifted his hand and caressed her spine, hoping to keep her there for a few moments longer.

“I’ll give you half the cargo in my hold if you carry me to the bed,” she said.

“Is that some kind of double entendre?”

She chuckled and pinched his side. “I am too relaxed to move. I don’t care if you use the Force or your own muscles, but I want a soft bed under me for the next round.”

She tilted her head, her chin resting on his breastbone. “My ass is too delicate for this carpeting.”

Luke laughed deep in his belly.

It was definitely love.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have upped the chapter count because I added a Finn/Kein interlude...and other reasons.


	5. Interlude II (Finn & Kein)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A brief, intimate interlude between Finn and Kein.

Kein sighed and rested the back of his head against the wall of the shower. He wasn’t sure what Luke had said to Finn, but Kein was _certainly_ reaping the benefits.

“Oh, Maker, yes, right _there_ , babe,” Kein gasped. 

Finn slowly kissed his way down Kein’s body. He knew _exactly_ where to nibble, where to lick, and where to bite hard enough to leave a mark. He had spent months learning the shape, taste, and feel of Kein Antilles. Today, he needed that knowledge to ground him in the here and now, and not in the sense of loss hearing about his mother’s past had brought him.

Kein’s hand moved from Finn’s shoulder to his neck, scratching lightly at the tendons there. Finn moaned in response, moving his mouth to Kein’s hipbone and biting down hard.

“Yes! Please, I need your beautiful mouth on me.”

Finn chuckled and tilted his head to look at his lover. “My mouth _is_ on you.”

“You gonna make me say it, soldier?” Kein asked, looking down through his eyelashes at Finn.

Finn shuddered. Kein _knew_ what calling him “soldier” did to him. With a smirk in his eyes, he turned his head and trailed his tongue from the base of Kein’s cock to the tip. He placed a kiss to the head of Kein’s cock, watching as Kein closed his eyes and leaned his head back.

Finn grinned. He knew Kein expected him to swallow him down—Finn’s lack of a gag reflex drove Kein mad. Instead, he leaned forward and nuzzled at the base of Kein’s cock, pressing a wet kiss against the hot flesh.

At Kein’s gasp, Finn continued pressing kisses to his lover’s cock, his hand coming up to gently fondle Kein’s balls.

“Mmm…you keep doing that and I’ll be screaming your name in no time.”

Finn paused in his ministrations, causing Kein to let out a high-pitched whine.

Kein opened his eyes and looked down to see that his lover was kneeling in stunned silence.

“Babe?” Kein asked.

“I have another name,” Finn said, looking up at him.

It took a moment for Kein to make the connection. Then he groaned. “Now? Really?” he asked, rubbing his hands over his face.

“Sorry,” Finn replied. He started to chuckle at the absurdity of it, and then fell into peals of hysterical laughter.

Kein, unable to not laugh when he heard Finn’s laughter at the best of times, soon found himself chortling.

“Only _you_ would have that kind of revelation with your mouth pressed against my cock,” Kein said.

“I’m sorry, it just…I have another name. Lando might know what it is!” Finn exclaimed, getting to his feet.

Kein cupped Finn’s face in his hands and kissed him softly. “He probably does. And I think I’m going to tell him what actions led you to this line of reasoning.”

Finn blushed. “You wouldn’t.”

Kein grinned at him.

Finn laughed. “You would. Unless, of course, I could find some way to bribe you…” he said, turning Kein to face the wall of the shower.

Kein moaned as Finn pressed biting kisses down his spine. “It has always been a disappointment to my father how susceptible to bribes I—gah!” he shouted as Finn sank his teeth into one toned cheek. 

He reached out, scrabbling for the container of waterproof lube (which Poe _still_ hadn’t revealed how he’d gotten a hold of to gift it to them—and, shit, don’t think about Poe right now!). He almost sobbed in relief as he found it and reached back to hand it to Finn.

“Eager,” Finn chuckled.

“You _cannot_ be surprised by that.”

Finn bit down at the juncture of Kein’s shoulder and neck at the same time he slid a slicked finger into his lover, drawing a long moan from Kein’s throat.

“Sweet Maker, Finn.”

Finn smiled against Kein’s skin as he slowly slid in another finger, carefully preparing the other man.

“Finn…babe…soldier…lover…I will call you whatever you want if you will just _get in me.”_

“Are you sure? I could stay here, pressed up against you, using just my fingers to make you see stars,” Finn whispered, his lips brushing the shell of Kein’s ear.

Kein groaned and pressed his forehead to the cool tiles. “I’m sure. I cannot think of another time I have been more sure.”

“Hmmm,” Finn said, twisting his fingers, “I’m not sure. You still sound a bit too coherent for me. What if I do _this_?” He pressed the tip of one finger against Kein’s prostate, pulling a strangled shout from the other man.

“Oh, you bastard,” Kein gasped, laughing. “Fuck me, Finn.”

Finn, done torturing his lover for the moment, pulled back slightly so he could slick his cock. “Your wish is my command.”

Kein moaned in pleasure as Finn pushed into him in one long, slow slide. Finn gasped against Kein’s shoulder; no matter how many times they made love, no matter how many times Kein let Finn into his body, it still took his breath away.

“As much as I love your human blanket routine, I was promised a fucking,” Kein quietly prompted him.

In response, Finn bit hard into the flesh covering Kein’s shoulder, stopping just shy of breaking the skin. He lifted one arm over Kein’s shoulder, bracing his palm against the wall of the shower as his other hand took Kein’s hip in a tight grip.

Kein hissed in pleasure at both the bite and the hand on his hip. A hand he knew would leave bruises he could brush his fingertips over, and gain a hiss of pleasure from, for days to come. 

Finn leaned his forehead against the top of Kein’s shoulder, looking down to where his cock was sliding in and out of his lover in a steady, hard rhythm. He felt his own climax begin to coil in his belly and shifted the angle of his hips, making sure that each thrust brushed against Kein’s prostate.

Kein whined and turned his head, biting down into the flesh of Finn’s bicep.

“Kein,” Finn groaned. “Kein, do you want my hand on you or do you want to come just like this?”

“Like this. Just you. _Harder_.”

Finn put both hands on Kein’s hips and began a punishing pace, barely hearing Kein’s moans over the rush of chasing his own orgasm.

“ _Finn_!” Kein shouted as he came. He fell forward slightly, his still-shaking body pressed hard between the tiles and Finn.

Finn smiled and shouted inarticulately as he came inside his lover.

Kein absently thanked the privileges of rank as they stood under the still-hot water, trying to control their breathing.

“If this is what finding family does to you, do you think Calrissian might know of some sisters you have out there?” he asked, breathlessly.

Finn laughed as he gently pulled out, turning Kein in his arms to kiss him softly.

“Come on, let’s get cleaned up so you can go ask Lando about your name.”

“Hmmm,” Finn replied, nuzzling his face against Kein’s neck. “How about a nap, first?”

“Nope. You have work to do, Calriwalker.”

Finn snorted a laugh and pulled back. “What?”

“Skyrissian?” Kein suggested.

Finn placed a smacking kiss on Kein’s mouth. “You are insane.”

“You love that about me.”

“Yeah, yeah I do.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this was super-late. I apologize. I got waylaid by a nasty bout of food poisoning last week, which pushed back a lot of RL work and writing.
> 
> I have a work project coming up that will keep me super busy (and stressed) over the next week, but I hope to be back on top of things by the following weekend.


	6. Part III:  Dark Tea Time of the Soul (3.5 years ABE)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finn tries to have a talk with his uncle, but has to settle for another conversation with his father.

_After leaving an exhausted Kein snoring softly in their bed, Finn had gone to find his uncle to ask about his name, but Lando had been locked in a meeting (which had sounded more like a shouting match through the door) for the better part of the evening. It was the middle of the night before he felt Luke’s presence in his mind, telling him to get some sleep and try to catch Lando in the morning._

_In the morning, Lando was asleep on his ship. Finn heard from Han that the meeting had run until just before sunrise, when everyone decided to get some sleep before real violence was done. Finn felt bad asking the older man for further information; Han had yawned at least a dozen times during their short conversation. He had gleaned that Poe, surprisingly, had been in the meeting as well, and went in search of his friend. Finn hadn’t seen Poe much since his release from medical three days ago. He had tried reaching out with the Force and had come up against what Rey liked to call the “Do Not Disturb” block._

_He found Poe in the nearly-empty canteen, staring listlessly into a cup of coffee._

_“I good friend once told me that works a lot better if you drink it, rather than trying to glare it into submission,” Finn said as he sat across from his friend._

_Poe chuckled and scrubbed a hand over his stubbled jaw. “Long night,” he explained. “And not nearly as fun as the one before.”_

_“You must be feeling better; you’re oversharing.”_

_“That’s the sleep deprivation,” Poe said, yawning widely enough it made_ Finn’s _jaw hurt._

_“Did anything get settled?”_

_Poe’s eyes drifted shut._

_“Poe,” Finn said, tapping his finger on the table._

_“‘M awake,” he said, his eyes still closed. “Everyone ended up so angry at each other that I was starting to get a headache from all the emotions zinging around through the Force. I think even_ Jess _could feel it.”_

_Finn nodded and waiting for his friend to elaborate, but gave up when Poe let out a soft snore._

_“Come on, buddy, I’ll escort you to your quarters so you don’t fall asleep in the hall,” Finn said, standing._

_Poe snorted a laugh, looking at Finn through half-closed eyes. “There’s a reason I’m in the canteen. Jess is still pissed off, so she’s with Rey in our quarters. I am_ not _getting in the middle of that. I’ll wait a little while here; Jess has her shift soon and no matter how mad she is, she won’t shirk her duties,” he said, yawning again._

_Finn walked around the table and hefted Poe to his feet. “Come on, you can nap in my quarters.”_

_“Won’t Kein mind you putting another man in your bed?” Poe asked as they stagger-walked to Finn’s quarters._

_“It’s all right; we’ve made a list.”_

_“What?!”_

_Finn chuckled. “He’s already in the hangar working with Snap. You’ll have the place all to yourself,” he replied, unlocking the door._

_“What if you want to talk to Luke?” Poe had asked around a yawn as Finn helped him out of his boots._

_“I’ll go see him in his quarters.”_

_“Promise?”_

_“Why is everyone so concerned with this?”_

_“I’m just glad you’ve found your people, Finn. Although, I would have been honored to call you brother and give you the Dameron name.”_

_Finn laughed as he tucked Poe in. “I think Kein would have fought you on that.”_

_Poe hummed. “You could have hyphenated after you married him,” he said softly._

_Finn covered his startled choke with a laugh. He kissed Poe on the forehead. “Get some sleep, brother.”_

_Poe smiled and curled further into the pillow._

_Finn sighed and went looking for his father.  
*****_

_“When did you see her again?” Finn asked._

_Luke blinked at him. He had opened the door a moment before Finn had knocked. “Good morning,” he said._

_Finn blushed. “Sorry. Good morning, Master Skywalker.”_

_“I think you can call me Luke when it’s just us,” Luke said, smiling. He stepped back to allow Finn entrance into his quarters._

_“You don’t mind?”_

_“I haven’t earned being called ‘Dad’ or ‘Father’ yet. You’ll let me know if I do?”_

_“Um…sure?” Finn replied, taking a seat in one of Luke’s armchairs._

_“I’m sorry you couldn’t get in to talk to Lando last night.”_

_Finn shrugged. “I’m just worried he’ll leave before I have a chance to talk to him.”_

_“I’m sure he will find you before he leaves. If there wasn’t so much going on with Ben, he would have come to you already.”_

_“Really?”_

_“Definitely. Don’t tell your aunts when you meet them, but I’m rather sure Cerise was his favorite sister.”_

_“How many aunts do I have?”_

_“Besides Leia?” Luke asked._

_Finn blushed, still not over his earlier freak-out over the fact that General Organa was his aunt. “Besides Leia,” he confirmed._

_“Lando has three other sisters—Danaë, Taryn and Valerya. I’ve only met Danaë. They’ll probably want to meet you and steal you away from the Resistance. From what Cerise told me, they never really approved of our relationship.”_

_“Why not?”_

_“They knew I was a Jedi and that, at some point, I would probably break her heart by choosing the Jedi Code over her. In the end, they were right,” Luke admitted, sadly._

_“Did you see her again? You know, before…” he waved his hand._

_Luke smiled at the familiar gesture. “The next time I saw your mother was about a year after the dust-up at the political function. We had been in contact, but hadn’t been in the same room for a long time…”_  
*****

“The places you take me to, Skywalker,” Cerise said, carving out a spot beside him on the floor of the bunker.

“You said you wanted to spend more time with me,” Luke replied, flinching at the sound of a distant explosion.

“I said I was surprised at the new facial hair.”

“Same thing,” Luke said, shrugging.

She nodded slowly. “Now I understand why so many people want to punch you in the face.”

“What people?”

“How much time do you have?”

“We’re under a bombardment from an actual, surviving Star Destroyer. We’ve got time.”

“Can’t you just use the Force to get them to turn around?” she asked, waving her hand.

“If I knew who was up there—”

“It’s Tigellinus.”

“Really? I thought they executed him.”

“One last chance. It’s a suicide mission, and he knows it, but he’s hoping to take out as many of the usurping Rebel scum as possible,” she replied.

“How do you know all that?”

“I am very good at what I do. Now, go on, do the thing and send them off,” she said, waving her hand again.

“The Force doesn’t work like that.”

“Says you.”

Luke lifted an eyebrow. “And what do you know about how the Force works?”

Cerise smirked. “What’s it worth to you?” she asked, leaning in close to him.

He swallowed hard. “I need to concentrate.”

“To send the Star Destroyer away?”

“To be sure Shara got away with the package.”

“Ah, the indomitable Shara Bey. Kes had some choice words about you.”

“You’ve seen Kes?”

“Yep. Practically had to drag that rugrat of his outta my ship. That moppet is definitely Shara’s kid.”

Luke closed his eyes and smiled. “She’s clear. She’ll be home soon.”

“Great. Does that mean we can start blowing shit up now?”  
*****

“One day,” Luke said, trying to scratch dust out of his beard, “we are going to meet in a restaurant somewhere, like normal people.”

Cerise laughed. “Where would be the fun in that?”

“Private refreshers?”

“You know, people have this image of you as this wholesome farm boy. The great new hope for the Jedi. What do you think they’d do if they found out you have a kinky side?”

Luke snorted. “I imagine some people would stand to win quite a large sum of money.”

“Do you know who’s running the book on that?”

“I assumed it was your brother.” 

“Hmm. I guess I’ll have to have a little talk with him.”

Luke raised an eyebrow. “Is your brother not keeping you up to date on his enterprises?”

“We all have our secrets, Luke.”

“That certainly got less flirty quickly,” he said.

Cerise smiled and kissed him on the cheek. “Sorry. I sometimes get maudlin when I’m stuck hiding in a bunker. Getting to blow up ships and shoot some buckets did help, though.”

“What did bring you here, Cerise?” Luke asked as they picked their way through wreckage.

“I couldn’t have missed you? I mean, late night comm calls are one thing, but some things need a more personal touch,” she said, taking his hand in hers.

Luke stopped walking and turned to face her. “Leia sent you.”

“Aw, you have me confused with my brother. _He’s_ the one who likes taking orders from royalty.”

“Cerise.”

“Ugh, enough with the cold, Jedi stare. I had business nearby and thought it would be fun to see you.”

“It’s interesting how often we run into each other.”

“The Force works in mysterious ways.”

“That’s my line,” Luke said.

“Then you should have used while you had the chance.”

“How long until you have to take off for your next merry adventure?”

Cerise checked her chrono. “I’m due back on Coruscant in a few days. I promised your sister I’d report back on some Outer Rim rumors.”

“Careful with that; she’ll rope you into babysitting.”

“I would not mind. That kid is _adorable_. Have you seen Chewie mooning over him? It’s hilarious.”

Luke laughed and shook his head. “I don’t know if I could survive Chewie mooning over anything.”

Cerise keyed in a sequence on her wriststrap when they reached her ship. The ramp lowered with an ancient hiss. “You need a lift?”

“I have a shuttle. Plus, my work isn’t quite done here yet,” he replied, but followed her into the ship anyway.

“Anything I can help with?”

Luke waited until the ramp had closed behind them. He watched as Cerise ran a scan to be sure no one had been inside the ship during their adventure.

“I have a lead on a Force-sensitive on the planet,” he replied once she nodded that everything was as it should be.

“Do you think that’s why our remnant friends were here?”

“No, I think that was solely to do due with the strategic importance of this moon.”

“Is your Force-sensitive still alive?”

Luke closed his eyes. “I believe so. I’m still not as capable as I’d like when it comes to seeking them out. It works better for me if I already know them.”

“So finding Leia and your nephew is easy?”

“Easier than strangers,” he admitted.

“Do you need any help?”

“Are you offering to give up the life of a space-faring scoundrel to help rebuild the Republic?”

Cerise smirked. “Define ‘give up’.”

“Well, I would never ask you to stop being you. But perhaps we could work together on a more…regular basis?”

“It does get cold out there in the big black sometimes. We’ll have to work on terms, of course.”

Luke smiled. “Leia will be glad I can put what I’ve learned about negotiating to use.”

“Oh, this ought to be interesting. I suppose I can set aside some time for negotiations,” she said, pulling him close to her. “After.”

“I _have_ missed you, Cerise.”

“Prove it.”  
*****

_“You can, um, you can stop right there,” Finn said, quickly._

_Luke laughed. “Agreed. I don’t think we know each other well enough yet for me to traumatize you that badly.”_

_“Then don’t take this the wrong way, but I hope we never know each other too well.”_

_“Fair enough.” Luke tilted his head to the side. “Lando is up and about. You should go see him before too much longer. I have a feeling he’ll be leaving soon.”_

_Finn nodded and stood. He paused at the door. “Why did you choose the Jedi over my mother?”_

_“I actually didn’t. Your mother made the choice for us. At the time, I didn’t fully understand. I thought she wanted to leave before I left. But now, with learning about the Oracle and you; I’m starting to think there was a lot more going on. I’m sorry I don’t have a better answer.”_

_“Thank you for telling me.”_

_“Lying to you serves me no purpose.”_

_“Can we talk again later?”_

_“Tomorrow. Today is going to be another long day filled with tension and arguments. If we talk tomorrow, you’ll have time to process whatever Lando tells you. And I’ll have time to prepare.”_

_“Prepare for what?”_

_“For telling you about the last time I saw your mother.”_


End file.
